The Hermione Show
by Billy Stubbs
Summary: Hermione Granger uncovers an obscure spell which leads her to realize that she is just a fictional character created by a famous British author. As the lines between the fictional and real world are blurred, dangerous consequences lurk about. A study into the character of Hermione Jean Granger. Four shot
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey there, it's been a while hasn't it? To all my fans who love to read my stories, you will notice I haven't been updating the other two major stories in my series so far. Seeing some of you are my avid readers of some of my other stories, I owe you an explanation. Truth is recently I lost someone very dear to me. A childhood friend and fellow HP lover, Sarah passed away and I haven't been in the mood to write. The reason I'm back and writing this is because it is my way to deal with the loss.**

 **Sarah was a good friend and one of those few I used to hang out with back in the day when we would gather outside our local Borders to wait the arrival of the new HP series. She was a Romione shipper but more importantly, she was a huge Hermione Granger fan. Sarah swears by the books and so, she had a lot to say about the movies' portrayal of Hermione Granger.**

 **I want to dedicate this fic to her as I try to incorporate everything Sarah thought about Hermione Granger into this fic. This is most likely going to be a three-shot or four-shot just like my other story, The Trial of Draco Malfoy. Part of this story is also inspired by one of our favourite films of the 1990s, The Truman Show, which is also the reason for the title. In this story, I will explore the character of Hermione Granger and just how truly special she is. One thing that both Sarah and I did share in common. We both loved the Golden Trio and hated any form of bashing towards any character. For Sarah. RIP**

 **Disclaimer: Not really relevant given where my story is headed. You know who it belongs to.**

 **The Hermione Show**

" _We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented."_

 **Chapter 1**

"Hermione, you're ready to leave?" Ron asked as Hermione looked up from her book. As her thirty-eight-year-old husband appeared in front of her, Hermione could not help but giggle at how familiar the scene was. Hermione and Ron had decided to pay a visit to Hogwarts to drop off some books that Rose insisted she needed for her new school term. After embarrassing their second-year daughter, both Hermione and Ron had decided to take a walk down memory lane. They had tea with Hagrid, who nearly crushed their ribs with his strong hugs and made them quiver at the news of more Blast-Ended Skrewts coming in. They met up with Headmistress McGonagall and even had a laugh with the portraits of Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape, the latter whom had snickered at the news of Ron being a former Auror that Hermione thought it best to remove her husband from hexing a portrait. They got to witness Neville prepare his lessons for Herbology and could not help but share a look of pride to see their former schoolmate take up teaching so effortlessly. Arguably the best moment came when they decided to revisit the Room of Requirement for a light snogging session with their emergence from the room coinciding with Rose walking past and screaming at yet another embarrassing moment from her parents.

Hermione had retreated to the library while Ron had decided to visit the Quidditch Pitch once more. Back in the comfort of her old sanctuary, Hermione, being a Ministry official and a war hero, walked into the Restricted Section to take a peek at certain titles she was unable to as a student. So it was no surprise that on the last aisle of the Restriction section and on the bottom shelf, obscured from view with dust that Hermione found a book of spells that caught her eye. It was mostly blank and had no title or author, all of which piqued her curiosity further. However, as Hermione turned to the last two pages, she saw written in barely discernible ink, the ingredients for a spell which made Hermione's eyes widened.

"The Life Spell. This is, without doubt, the most dangerous spell in all of existence. The spell is neither dark nor light and is best left alone. The spell would bring new meaning to one's life in ways that no one in this world can possibly imagine. Only one other individual has managed to brew and perform this spell correctly. His name is … Mopsus."

A quick search for the name brought about a famous seer in Greek mythology with the name Mopsus but no mention of such a character existed in the wizarding community of Britain. Hermione's interest grew as she looked at the ingredients for the spell. The spell consisted of a potion which needed to be brewed during the full moon and one needed to drink the potion before casting the charm for the spell to work. The ingredients were relatively easy to get. As Hermione flipped to the final page of the book, she noticed a piece of paper wedged at the side of the book's cover. On the paper was a message scribbled in what looked like blood.

 _To whoever reads this, please listen to me. This message is my last words in this world and if somehow, this paper is not erased then consider yourself blessed to be reading this. I only have one message. Please burn this book. Do not attempt the spell. Do not do it! It is far too late for me but you can save yourself so much pain if you choose right now to burn or destroy this horrid thing._

 _If by some chance, you had already performed the spell, then my only advice to you is to accept the reality that is presented to you! Accept it as hard as you can. Do not attempt to remove your memories for that does not work. Accept it._

 _I hope this message reaches you in time. I have tried writing it onto the book itself but the magic of the book is strong and only by leaving a message on the piece of paper here can I hope to pass on my message._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Professor Trocar_

Hermione had inquired with Madam Pince if there had been such a professor who worked in the school. When that was in vain, Hermione took the Hogwarts records dating back to the founding of the school to see if such a professor had visited. It was here that Ron approached her, his hair a mess from flying around the pitch although his piercing, blue eyes and famous lopsided grin still brought butterflies to Hermione's stomach.

"Not quite yet, Ron. I'm looking for something."

"Have we travelled back in time, Hermione? Is there perhaps another Horcrux that we haven't searched for yet? Or are you trying to brew Polyjuice Potion once again?" Ron chuckled as Hermione gave him a mock glare.

"No, I just found something interesting. Listen here…" Hermione said as she explained what she had found to her husband. Ron gave her a concerned look as Hermione pointed towards the school records.

"There's no mention of a Professor Trocar anywhere in the school records, Ron! I've searched and searched and still nothing."

"Maybe you missed something. Check the note again." Ron replied. Hermione grumbled as she placed the book of records aside, thinking that Ron should know better than to question her researching abilities before she realized something was wrong. The note that Hermione had placed underneath a book was no longer there.

"The note is missing!" Hermione yelled as she pushed aside all the books in a desperate attempt to find the note. Ron gave a sheepish look to the librarian who glared at the chaos in front of her.

"Hermione!"

"Ron! The note…it was just there…I could have sworn…"

"Maybe it flew away."

"On what?!" Hermione snapped. "There's no wind here!"

"Maybe you misplace it?"

Hermione gave Ron a withering look to which Ron held his hands up in surrender before helping his wife look for the note. After fifteen minutes of searching, Ron tapped his wife on the shoulder as she emerged from the bottom of the table.

"Hermione, let's just go home. Why does it matter anyway? You know what the note said and better yet, it's not like you're going to do the spell?"

"But, Ron…"Hermione protested but Ron held his hand up.

"No buts, Mione. We've already embarrassed our daughter twice and now Madam Pince looks ready to kick us out, war heroes or not. I say we just let this one go and go get Hugo from Harry and Ginny. It's almost dinner anyways."

Anyone else, even Harry, would have gotten a retort from Hermione. But this was Ron, her husband whose eyes were shining with concern as loud grumbling sounds emerged from his stomach. Feeling the hunger as well, Hermione nodded her head as Ron packed up the books, leaving one on the table.

"What should I do with this, Ron?" Hermione asked as Ron looked at her before forming a grin.

"Well, I would say just let it go, seeing as it's just a book. But I know better to get between my wife and a book so it's up to you. Just be careful, okay?" Ron said as he gave her a kiss on the cheek which Hermione returned before linking her arm around his.

"Let's go home," Hermione said as she smiled at her husband who was now sporting a wicked grin on his face.

"How about we stay for just a little longer? You know, I always wondered what it would be like to snog you here in the library." Ron said as he slowly dragged her away from the librarian's eyes and between the shelves where no one could see them. Hermione had gasped at Ron's actions before grinning wickedly herself

"Why do I let you convince me of such naughty ideas, Ron?" Hermione giggled as Ron pulled her into his arms before planting kisses on her neck. Hermione moaned at each kiss, each touch of Ron's lips giving her waves and waves of pleasure.

"Like you said on our wedding day, love, I am a part of you. You can't possibly imagine life without me."

Suffice to say, Ron and Hermione snogged their brains out for a good ten minutes and it was only the frustrated yell of their daughter who had wandered into the library and caught them that made the pair finally leave Hogwarts.

…..

"So do you think Rose will ever write to us?" Ron chuckled as he tucked himself into bed. Hermione laughed as she recalled her daughter pulling her hair out and screaming how she wished she wasn't born as the pair of them hightailed out of the castle.

"She'll get over it," Hermione said as she tucked herself next to Ron. Glancing at the book that she placed on the table next to their bed, Hermione couldn't help but sigh as she sunk into her pillow.

"You okay, Mione?" Ron said as he placed his Quidditch magazine on the floor. "Thinking about your upcoming birthday, huh?"

"Oh right! My birthday. Can't believe I'm turning thirty-nine! Soon, I'll be forty, Ron." Hermione replied sadly as Ron pulled her into a hug which she gratefully accepted.

"Forty still pretty young, Hermione," Ron whispered into her ear.

"Still, I feel old, Ron," Hermione said as she tucked her head between his cheek and shoulder. "What have I done with my life?"

"Other than saving the world, destroying an evil wizard, revamping the Ministry, destroying all notions of magical blood and corrupted laws, marrying me and giving birth to two beautiful kids? Nothing at all, I suppose."

"You're an arsehole, Ronald Weasley."

"And you love me, Hermione Granger-Weasley," Ron said as he planted a kiss on her lips. After two minutes of kissing heavily, Hermione pulled away as she panted for breath.

"Ron, we need to talk."

Hermione waited for the usual "Bloody Hell" curse that Ron would say which would proceed with a few minutes of bickering, followed by frustrated yells and going to bed early before one of the two would apologise which would lead to snogging and sometimes, sex. It was precisely this routine that led to the birth of her son but for some reason, Ron merely stretched his arms out before turning to her with a concerned look on his face.

"Okay, what's up?" Ron asked.

Hermione raised her eyebrow. "No bloody hell or anything? What happened to your fight, Mr. Weasley?"

"Well, Miss Granger, seeing as how you have allowed me to fulfil two of my snogging fantasies at Hogwarts today, I am very much okay with being drawn into a conversation with you right now." Ron grinned as Hermione could not help but laugh as well.

"Well, keep this up and more of that might come soon. But for now, I need to talk about something serious."

"Okay…" Ron said as he sat upright, his attention being drawn into the serious manner in which Hermione had spoken.

"Do you ever feel like you're meant for something else? Like this world isn't what it is?"

"Huh?"

"It's just a feeling that's been nagging away at me, Ron. Like somehow I feel like even though I have everything that I could possibly dream of, part of me is missing something. Like my purpose is no longer what I thought it was."

"Hermione, you've lost me here."

Hermione let out a frustrated grunt. "Never mind, it's stupid anyway. Let's just go to bed."

"Now hold on!" Ron yelped as he grabbed her hand. Hermione smirked, thinking that Ron was most likely trying to pacify her for the possibility of more snogging before turning to face her husband who was in a surprising state of deep thought.

"Yeah, Ron?" Hermione asked as Ron opened his mouth to speak.

"Look, I'm not going to say I understand what you're going through but maybe we can figure out."

"Okay, so what advice do you have for me?" Hermione asked as Ron looked at her thoughtfully.

"Hermione, bear with me on this, but have you…err…do you miss…Voldemort?"

Hermione was stunned. "That's what you're thinking about? Whether I miss that monster?!"

"Bear with me." Ron sighed as he ran his fingers through his crimson hair. "Look, about a year ago when we were all at King's Cross to accompany Rose on her first ride into Hogwarts, Harry and I got to talking about the old times. He had been asking me about the joke shop and Harry's been wanting to leave the Aurors for some time."

"Leave the Aurors? How come he didn't mention it to me?!" Hermione replied indignantly as Ron scowled.

"That's because it was just a thought, Hermione! Basically, Harry's been a bit put out about the paperwork. Ever since the early years of the Ministry after Voldemort was killed, there's been less danger and thus, less cases to work on. Do you know what the highlight of his career was this month? Taking down two under aged wizards who were trying to perform an Engorgio charm on their bits! There's no action anymore, Hermione, only more paperwork."

"But isn't that a good thing?"

"It is! But you see, for someone like Harry who's been on so many adventures at such a young age, well, life gets boring. I'm not saying I want Voldemort or another Dark Wizard to take over the world, Merlin no, but you can't say that our adventures when we were younger weren't exciting. We had a purpose, Hermione, back then."

"I think I get what you're saying, Ron." Hermione beamed as she reasoned what her husband was saying. She couldn't help but admit it, even though she felt slightly guilty at the thought but the idea of facing down a Dark Wizard had brought about a sense of adventure and excitement into her life that could not be replicated. Back then, she was Hermione Granger, smartest witch of her age and one-third of the famous Golden Trio. Now, she was Hermione Granger-Weasley, thirty-nine-year-old Ministry official and mother of two.

"I mean…it sort of explains how I'm feeling although I do think it's something else…I mean, to me, this feels like an existential crisis, you know?" Hermione said as Ron chuckled.

"Well, it can't be a mid-life crisis because you only have those when you're forty-five or so you told me once before."

"You remembered?" Hermione said, surprised at Ron's comment.

"Of course, it was about last year when I joked about your age and you withdrew sex for a week. Coldest showers of my life, I believe." Ron laughed as Hermione smacked him playfully on the arm. "But perhaps it could be that as well, I mean, we did have to mature faster during our adventures so perhaps even though you are a gorgeous thirty-nine-year-old, it's perfectly normal with what you've gone through."

"Who are you and what have you done with my husband?" Hermione giggled as Ron gave her a mock glare.

"Always the tone of surprise, Hermione. So…has the broom flown on sex tonight?"

"I'm too tired for sex," Hermione whispered as Ron gave her a hurt look. Laughing at her husband's pout, Hermione whispered in his ear.

"But I'm okay for other stuff," Hermione said as Ron's eyes began to widened as Hermione cast a Silencing Charm around the bedroom.

….

Hermione blinked her eyes open as she heard the soft sounds of her husband's light snoring. Ron had shifted in his sleep and his arms were no longer around her as he tucked them underneath his pillow. Taking a moment to smile at the sleeping form of her husband, Hermione then turned her attention to the book whose dusty grey cover illuminated in the glow of the moonlight that had crept through her bedroom window. Lifting herself out of bed, Hermione picked the book up and approached her window. It was indeed, a full moon, shining brightly in the sky.

Though her talk with Ron had eased some of her thoughts, Hermione could not help but be drawn towards the book. It had been nagging at her for some time, only amplifying strongly now with the finding of this book and the spell that could help her better understand the meaning of her life despite its ambiguous nature. Part of Hermione wanted her to put the book down and retreat to the comfort of her bed and yet…

Ever since she was a child, Hermione knew her curiosity would always get the better of her. It was what made her so knowledgeable, why Ron called her a know-it-all, her appetite for wanting to learn and know more always eating at her very soul. In her head, Hermione did what she knew best. She rationalised. The missing note might have been just of figment of her imagination. How else does one explain how a note could mysteriously vanish? Besides, the spell, as mentioned wasn't dark and with some simple ingredients, would most likely not work. It could just be a prank, after all. The potion had no brewing time and as Hermione knew, back during her days with Snape, the longer a brewing time for a potion was, the more dangerous it would be. Hermione looked back at Ron, wondering if she should wake him up before deciding to let him sleep. After all, Ron knew her best and since he knew about the book, if anything should happen to her, Ron would not stop to rest until he found her. Hermione decided to leave a note on the table just in case.

Being a former Auror and friends with Harry Potter, Ron and Hermione often had a bunch of supplies in the basement in case of a need to brew a potion. Items such as readymade Veritaserum and even three vials of Felix Felicis were stocked safely away although Hermione warned Ron that if he ever took the vials of Felix Felicis to play Quidditch that she would not hesitate to tell his mother. Gathering the supplies, Hermione quickly brewed the potion in their backyard, allowing the contents of the potion to bathe in the dazzling moonlight that Hermione noted had gotten unusually brighter. Once the potion was made, Hermione made note of the incantation. She was to take a sip of the potion before casting the charm.

"Should I do this?" Hermione said out loud, to no one in particular as she held the cup of potion in her hand. The potion had turned white like milk and it seemed as if parts of it were starting to glitter. Looking back at her home and thinking of her husband and son, as well as her daughter who was millions of miles away, Hermione hesitated drinking the potion. It was after all, incredibly dangerous, to do a spell that one had no idea of its effects. Furthermore, it was a spell that came with a warning. Hermione thought back to her second year when a failed attempt at brewing the Polyjuice Potion had resulted in her turning into a cat. Back then, she had slight doubts that Draco Malfoy could be the Heir of Slytherin despite Harry's and Ron's efforts to convince her otherwise and yet she still went through it due to her overwhelming nature to do so. Her curiosity hadn't quelled even after all these years.

 _Curiosity killed the cat, Hermione_ she thought as she pushed the cup away. She turned, prepared to throw the cup away and be done with the spell only for the nagging feeling to return. The nights when she laid awake thinking about her life while Ron slept peacefully. The moments when she sat back staring at the piles of paperwork that piled up her desk at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The constant feeling that although she felt happy with her life, part of her felt empty and discontented even though she hardly had anything to be aggrieved at. Knowing that if it wasn't going to be tonight, that sooner or later she would succumb to this, Hermione drank the potion before casting the charm.

For the first few minutes, nothing happened and Hermione could not help but heave a sigh of relief and slight disappointment at the failure of her spell. Turning around to walk back into her house, Hermione felt a tug behind her navel, as if she was Apparating before her world was consumed by a flash of white dazzling light. Hermione could hear a strange ringing in her ear as if an alarm had gone off.

White, white and then complete darkness.

….

" _Should we wake her up?"_

" _How could she do the spell?! Didn't she read my warning? Or yours?"_

" _Maybe your note disappeared, Trocar."_

" _But you still put the warning there, didn't you Mopsus?"_

" _Quiet, you two! She's waking up!"_

Hermione groaned as she blinked her eyes open. She felt a little groggy as she rubbed her hands on her eyes before settling on where she was. She appeared to be lying on what must be a white floor except that everything around her was white, giving Hermione the impression that she wasn't so much as lying down as she was at floating. Everywhere around her was white, the whiteness covering everything around her except for Hermione herself and three individuals staring curiously at her.

The first was an old, bald man with a few grey hairs still sticking to his scalp. His eyes appeared to be glossed over as he was cloaked in grey robes though the walking cane he held gave the impression that the man was blind. The second was a tall, lanky figure covered in black robes and raven hair just like Harry's. His pale complexion and grey eyes made him look like an elderly Draco Malfoy but it was his sharp teeth that stuck out from his lips as well as his rosy cheeks that made Hermione shudder. She had seen his kind before and though sighting were rare, Hermione had seen and even interacted with vampires especially on a journey with Luna Lovegood to Transylvania a few years back. Yet despite the interesting look of these two individuals, it was the third that interests Hermione the most.

It was a girl of no more than eleven years old dressed up in Slytherin robes. The girl was the mirror image of Hermione herself with the notable exception of her brown bushy hair. Instead, the girl had free-flowing red hair and for some reason appeared to sneer at Hermione in the usual way the Slytherins would back during her years at Hogwarts. The other notable difference is that while the other two appeared to be shimmering in some manner, as if light bounces off their skin, the girl appeared to look more focused and Hermione could not help but shake off a sense of familiarity with the girl.

"Well, you've really done it this time, haven't you, Hermione." the girl drawled as she rolled her eyes.

"What…How…."

"Imagine that. The great Hermione Granger at a loss for words. Merlin, I would have wiped the floor with you."

The jibe from the girl roused Hermione into action as she glared at the eleven-year-old. Hermione reached for her wand and heaved an internal sigh of relief to feel the familiar wood of her weapon tucked inside her pocket.

"Who are you, people? And where am I?" Hermione demanded as she stared at the trio in front of her. "What is happening right now?"

"Hermione…"the blind man spoke as Hermione turned her attention to him. "You might want to take a breath. This would be quite a lot to take in."

"What would be quite a lot to take in? And who are you?" Hermione asked, her eyes narrowed as she looked warily at the blind man. The vampire cleared his throat as he spoke in a gentle voice.

"Forgive us but we weren't expecting to see you here. Perhaps its best we introduce ourselves. My name is Professor Trocar and this man next to me is Mopsus. The girl's name is Mafalda. She is…"

"I'm Ron's cousin." Mafalda interrupted as she glared at Hermione.

"Cousin?! Ron's never mentioned you to me before." Hermione said as she glared back at Mafalda.

"That's because I was removed, stupid. Removed from existence though my parents did get mentioned I think."

"Removed?" Hermione asked in confusion as Mafalda let out a snort of derision. Turning her attention to Mopsus and Trocar, Hermione looked at the two individuals who both looked to be wrestling with the idea of revealing more to her.

"I know who you both are. Mopsus, you're the one who came up with the spell and Professor Trocar, you're the one who wrote the note that vanished."

"The note vanished?" Trocar said, a hint of resignation in his voice.

"Yes."

"It was to be expected, Trocar. We were, after all, never meant to be." Mopsus said as Trocar nodded feebly at his words.

"Is anyone going to tell me what's going on?" Hermione asked in the most authoritative tone that she could muster. Mafalda opened her mouth as if to speak but Trocar covered it with his hand and glared at her with such a menacing look that Hermione could not help but shiver.

"I'm sorry, Hermione but we cannot tell you anything more. To do so would be highly detrimental to you. The best course of action is to sit here in silence and hope that the spell wears off." Mopsus replied in a grim voice.

"I'm sorry too, Hermione. I'm sure you have many questions." Trocar spoke as he gave her a resigned look. "But trust me, in this case, ignorance is indeed bliss."

"Yes, it truly is." Mopsus agreed.

"What? The spell said that doing it would give me new meaning to my life. Did it work? What's going on?" Hermione pressed on as she stared back at Mopsus.

"Oh, give it a rest, Hermione." Mafalda snapped as she grumbled while she sat. "As much as I despise you, I have to admit these two prats here are right. Just keep your trap shut, sit in silence and perhaps this would all be over."

Hermione couldn't believe her ears. Her indignation rose at the words that Mafalda just uttered and yet the pitying looks given by both Mopsus and Trocar made her bite down her snappy remark. It seemed that all three were trying to protect her from something. Hermione crossed her legs as she sat in front of the three. Mopsus and Trocar were conversing quietly while Mafalda kept grumbling as she fidgeted about. Not wanting to sit in silence, Hermione tried a different tactic.

"Professor Trocar, I was wondering, are you a vampire?"

Trocar smiled as he bared his fangs before speaking. "Yes, I am, Hermione but do not worry. I am not dangerous. Haven't had a blood drop since forever."

"But I thought vampires need to drink."

Trocar opened his mouth as if to speak before thinking twice and smiling at her. "Hermione, I wish I could tell you more but trust us when we tell you, the best is to just sit quietly and not say a word. Take a nap if you desire."

Hermione sighed as she nodded her head. Something about Trocar's tone told her he wasn't going to budge and neither were Mopsus or Mafalda. Sighing, Hermione started to twirl her wand in her hand as she tried to avert her gaze elsewhere. One thing was for sure, Hermione was not going to sleep any time soon.

…

"Why is nothing happening?" Trocar said as Hermione was jolted out her thoughts. "It's been like hours."

 _Hours? More like days_ Hermione thought grumpily as she looked at the professor who had turned to Mopsus who looked deep in thought. Mafalda, however, had started to walk around Hermione, each time taking a moment to inspect and glaring at every bit of her.

"It would seem…that we have no choice." Mopsus sighed in resignation as Trocar's eyes began to widen. "Hermione needs to be told the truth if the spell is to wear off."

"NO!" Trocar screamed in alarm that both Hermione and Mafalda nearly jumped in the air such was the volume of his voice. "There has to be another way! Let us wait it out!"

"It would be useless, Trocar. There was never any book or spell, to begin with. I admit that I did know of this but I couldn't help but place my false hopes that perhaps Hermione could find her way back with ignorance. But it would seem our path is clear. Hermione must know the truth."

"But…but…this is Hermione Granger we are talking about! We can't just tell her the truth!" Trocar yelled.

"What other way is there? At least she might have a chance to say goodbye. It was what happened to you, Trocar, was it not?"

"But I had little to say goodbye to, Mopsus. We should wait."

"We would be waiting forever!" Mafalda interjected, clearly annoyed at what was happening. "Just tell Hermione the truth."

"Perhaps she can fight this. After all, she is, as you put it, Hermione Granger." Mopsus replied. Hermione's head was spinning at all these vague references to her. It would seem the three knew her very well and yet Hermione had no idea who they were. But the mention of her staying here forever was starting to worry her especially at the thought of never seeing Ron, her kids and everyone else ever again.

"Please…" Hermione pleaded as she looked at them. "Tell me."

"How would we even start?" Trocar sighed, resigned to the thought of telling Hermione something.

Mopsus exchanged a look with both Trocar and Mafalda before sighing and rummaging through his robes. He pulled out a book with illustrations on the cover though Hermione could not see what they look like.

"Is that the first one?" Mafalda said vaguely as Mopsus nodded. Suddenly, a wooden table and chair appeared in front of him as Hermione gasped while the other two groaned.

"It would seem the way is clear. Hermione, if you would…" Mopsus said as he motioned for her to take a seat on the chair. Hermione did as she was told and gasped as Trocar and Mafalda disappeared from view.

"Where did they go?" Hermione asked as Mopsus smiled at her.

"They're around and will join us on our journey. I'm sure you have many questions, Hermione about what the three of us discuss and let me be frank here, I would give anything to not reveal anything to you and let you go back to your bed with Ron but it would seem that the decision is not up to me. We are, after all, controlled by other forces. Read this book and once you reached the end, all three of us will return to answer all your questions. A word of caution. What you are about to read is disturbing, to say the least, and will most certainly drive your thoughts crazy. So calm yourself as you read each word and try your best to remain calm."

With that, Mopsus placed the book on the desk as he disappeared from sight. A worried look appeared on Hermione's face as she approached the book, her hands trembling as she took it for a closer look. Staring at the cover, Hermione could not help but gasp in shock as her fingers dropped the book onto the table. The cover had a very familiar scene drawn on it. It was of the front of a red train as a boy wizard stood in front of it, his expression one of disbelief and curiosity. Yet Hermione knew both very well. The train had the words written on a green plaque in bright yellow ink.

Hogwarts Express.

The boy, covered in Gryffindor robes and draped in a Gryffindor scarf as he put his finger on his chin, contemplating as he stared at the train. His famous scar done brilliantly in its usual lightning shaped while the boy stood there gaping, with his famous black hair and spectacles while holding on a pink and green backpack. It was indeed an uncanny resemblance to the person Hermione knew as her first and best friend, part of the famous Golden Trio. Looking upwards, Hermione could not help but shudder as she read out the words printed at the top of the book.

"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone!" Hermione whispered as she traced her fingers on the book. "By JK Rowling." A shiver went down Hermione's spine as she gathered her wits the best she could before turning to the first page.

…

 **Mopsus, Professor Trocar, and Mafalda were characters who were deleted or taken out from the HP universe by JK Rowling for those who do not know. I'm a little uncertain if Mafalda was mentioned in the first book or if it was her parents who were mentioned so forgive me if I made an error on that. Chapter two should be coming in tomorrow with the third and fourth chapters the day after.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks to those who favorited and followed. Really appreciate it. Here is part two for you. Just be warned, if you haven't read HP and the Cursed Child, there are some spoilers here although I doubt it will spoil much. Not that it matters considering how I feel towards it but just in case, you have been warned.**

 **Also, an interesting note when I was writing this, I decided to look up the most mentioned characters in HP. The first three are quite straightforward. Harry with 18956 times, Ron with 6464 times, Hermione with 5486 times. The fourth is Dumbledore, again no surprise there, but lo and behold Rubeus Hagrid is the fifth mentioned character! More so than Snape or Voldemort. I admit that while I do love Hagrid, I was a little surprised at him being mentioned more than Snape or Voldemort but then again it does make sense seeing how important he is to the trio and to Harry's adventures! Love you Hagrid!**

 **I've added yet another quote from the Truman Show.**

 **Disclaimer: Not really relevant given where my story is headed. You know who it belongs to.**

 **The Hermione Show**

" _Was nothing real? You were real…that's what made you so good to watch."_

For the first time in her life, Hermione Granger was at a loss for words.

As soon as she finished the book, Mopsus had appeared with a bunch of books for her to read. Any attempts to get his attention was futile as Mopsus offered her nothing except the promise of an explanation once she was done with reading all the books. Thus, Hermione forged onwards, her eyes ever widening as she gasped countless times. Each book was extremely detailed in describing her experiences although it wasn't lost on her whose narrative the books were focused on.

 _Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The Prisoner of Azkaban. The Goblet of Fire. The Order of the Phoenix. The Half-Blood Prince. The Deathly Hallows._

All the books written from the perspective and experiences of her best friend, some of which she never knew such as the conversation between Ron and Harry during their meeting with Aragog or Harry's experiences during his stay at the Dursleys. She had wept hard seeing how much Harry had endured and gasped at the Horcrux memory of her husband, something Ron had never revealed to her in all their years together. Yet with each word, with each sentence, Hermione felt her stomach churning, twisting about as a sickening feeling rose within her.

The rational side of her brain tried to compensate her with the thought that these stories were merely biographies of Harry's life and yet the attention to detail made her uneasy. Even if they were biographies, there were things here that Harry would have never revealed to anyone, even Ron and herself. It was too much to take in. As soon as Hermione finished the last sentence on the final page of the seventh book, there was only one question above all else that burned in her mind.

 _Who am I? Or rather what am I?_

Hermione had looked at the blurbs and other information of the books. Apparently, this Joanne Rowling was the author of her books and was the creator of the universe that she, Harry and Ron reside.

"It's hard to take in, I imagine."

Hermione whirled around to see Mopsus and Professor Trocar staring sympathetically at her while Mafalda was sitting on a chair with her back towards her.

"What…what is all this?" Hermione stammered as she pointed towards the books. Though she was fearful of what she was about to know, her innate curiosity was, once again, eating at her.

"I suspect you already know, Hermione." Trocar spoke as his fangs gleamed. He walked over to her and sat on a chair which apparently had appeared the moment he intended to sit. Mopsus soon followed suit though Mafalda still remained unmoved.

"I…I…have ideas but…I still need to know." Hermione stammered once again as she pushed the books aside, not wanting to look at the words or illustrations further.

"Very well but this is a lot to take in," Mopsus said.

"I can handle it," Hermione replied.

"To that, I have no doubt," Mopsus said as he smiled sadly at her. "You are, after all, the smartest witch of your age." Mopsus exchanged a look with Trocar who then motioned for Mopsus to explain.

"My dear… if you haven't suspected it by now… you are a fictional character."

"I'm a what?" Hermione blurted as Mafalda made a snort of exasperation.

"A fictional character. Created in 1997 by a British female author known as Joanne Rowling who is famous all around the world for creating the Harry Potter series. Yes, it is ironic, isn't it? That you, a bookworm yourself, now realize that you are just a character in a book."

"I'm afraid it's true, Hermione." Trocar spoke in a gentle voice. "The books you just read were written by Rowling and you are just a character in her story. No doubt you noticed that the stories are tailored towards Harry as they are based on him. Nevertheless, your character, being one of great importance, is mentioned quite a bit. 5486 times I believe. You're only third behind Ron and Harry of course."

Hermione now understood why Mopsus had forced her to read the books first. If someone had told Hermione that she was merely a fictional character, created by a person's imagination, she would have laughed it off as being completely ludicrous but now…looking at Rowling's descriptions of the events that took place and everything the Trio had gone through even seemingly unimportant ones like things they did at the Burrow, it wasn't too far-fetched to imagine and yet…

"It's hard to swallow." Trocar said, finishing Hermione's thought for her.

"So what you're saying is that… I'm not real?" Hermione exclaimed, her head still unable to comprehend the very idea of her being fictional.

"Of course you're not real!" Mafalda blurted impatiently as Hermione now noticed her to be standing a foot away, scowling at her. "God, I expected my cousin to be this dense but you?"

"Now, now, Mafalda!" Mopsus scolded as he shook his head. "You can hardly expect Hermione to be able to comprehend such a complex idea, much less accept it. But the idea that she isn't real is debatable."

"After all, didn't Dumbledore tell Harry that just because it's happening in his head doesn't mean it's not real?" Trocar added.

There were a ton of questions whirling through Hermione's mind. Hermione stood tall on her feet, her hand clutching her head as she massaged her fingers against her forehead. It was too much. All of it. Too much. She needed to calm herself down.

 _Think logically, Hermione! Take it one step at a time!_

Hermione turned her head to face the trio. She could see that Mopsus and Trocar were seated, patiently waiting for Hermione to get her thoughts straight while Mafalda was instead flipping the pages in one of the books, her face scowling as she turned the page. Allowing her temper to get the better of her, Hermione rounded up on Mafalda instead.

"Why do you hate me so much?! What did I ever do to you?!" Hermione screeched as she glared at Mafalda who instead offered her a sneer.

"Tell me, Hermione, what do you feel when you look at me?"

"Anger. And disgust for some reason."

"And do you think those emotions are unfounded?"

"I don't know what to think! Where am I?" Hermione shrieked as Mafalda stuck her tongue towards her. Mopsus cleared his throat as all three looked towards him.

"Let me explain. Hermione, this place that you currently are at is a plane of existence between the fictional world and the real world. A link if you will. To avoid further confusion, the three of us have called this place the Plane. Nothing exists in the Plane, not unless we create it to be."

Hermione opened her mouth to speak but Mopsus raise his hand.

"Please, Hermione. When you did the Life Spell, the spell took you from your fictional world into what is now the Plane where you, as a fictional character, now realise that you are indeed…fictional. You see, the three of us were once characters inside your world as well. Until we were, of course, deleted."

"Deleted? How?"

"By the Creator of course. Rowling herself. Only the Creator can remove us from the story and in doing so, she too can add us back in. Take me for example. I was created as a blind wizard that was skilled in predicting the future. My abilities would have greatly tampered with the plot of Harry Potter and so I was removed. Trocar here was supposed to be a professor. He is a vampire as you pointed out but for some reason was removed from the story as well."

"And then there was me." Mafalda interrupted as she glared at Hermione. "I was supposed to be in the books, especially the fourth one. I was put in Slytherin and my wits were a match for yours. You could say that I was in many ways, the anti-Hermione. You and I were supposed to butt heads but for some reason, I was replaced with that fool Rita Skeeter! Now you know why we both loathed each other."

"How do you know all this?" Hermione inquired.

"The Plane," Mopsus replied. "The Plane made us aware of why we were removed. Here's another thing. Why do you think Mafalda appears clearer to you than the both of us?"

Hermione shook her head, unable to find an answer.

"It's because Mafalda still has a link in your world. Her parents were mentioned in the story and so this link makes her clearer but she is still deleted unless Rowling chooses to put her back into the story. This won't happen, of course." Trocar replied.

"Why not?"

"Because Rowling has stopped writing on Harry Potter." Mafalda sighed.

"Well, there is the eighth book…" Trocar said, earning looks from disgust from both Mopsus and Mafalda.

"That load of tripe?! Please. I'm quite glad the fans haven't accepted it as canon." Mafalda grunted as she folded her arms.

"What eighth book?" Hermione asked. "And what is canon?"

"Canon refers to the original storyline in the seven books. The Harry Potter universe if you will." Trocar said as Mopsus and Mafalda nodded to his words. "Rowling did write a story for an eighth book but it was made into a screenplay which was written by Jack Thorne. Together with another writer, John Tiffany, the trio created what was known as Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a story that Rowling has asked to be taken as canon."

"But the story is just ridiculous. Basically, it revolves around Voldemort having a child with Bellatrix who tries to bring darkness to the world through time travel." Mopsus remarked.

"There are just so many plot holes in the story! Bellatrix being pregnant? Polyjuice Potions being brewed instantly. Time-turners that allow you to travel through time and space and even Cedric Diggory as a Death Eater! But you become Minister for Magic, though." Mafalda spat as she grimaced at the thought.

"What?! Voldemort has a kid?!" Hermione cried, unable to comprehend the thought. "But why didn't this happen in…canon."

"My guess is one of two. Either it is because Rowling herself didn't completely write the story on her own and the screenplay wasn't hers or it was because many of the fans refuse to accept it as canon."

"Fans?" Hermione asked.

"Do we have to explain fanfiction to her now?" Mafalda asked Mopsus who chuckled at her words.

"One step at a time, Mafalda." Trocar said as he smiled at Hermione. "This is a lot for anyone to take in, even if Hermione is the brightest witch of her age."

"How about this instead? Hermione, may I ask you a simple question?" Mopsus said as he turned to face Hermione who had now plopped herself down on the chair once again. Hermione merely nodded her head as she was too confused to speak.

"What are the names of your parents?" Mopsus asked.

"Oh, that's easy. Their names are…."

Hermione was stumped. Surely she could remember her parents' names. And yet it was deeply troubling her that throughout her life, her parents' names were never mentioned. She had no reason to call them anything other than mom and dad but surely Ron must have mentioned it when they were getting married. Or Harry. Or Ginny.

 _Why can't I remember their names?!_

"Funny isn't it? Such a simple detail and yet you do not know. Surely at the very least, when filling up forms for Hogwarts such as the form allowing you to enter Hogsmeade that your mother or father would have their name written down and yet, you do not know." Mopsus replied gently, slowing coaxing Hermione towards the realisation of truth. "You do not know because it was never written."

"But…it can't….this can't be true!" Hermione shrieked, unable to take anything further. "I cannot be just a fictional character. THIS ISN'T REAL!" Hermione yelled at the top of her lungs.

"I'm afraid it is, Hermione." Trocar said sadly. "This is precisely why we didn't want to tell you anything when you first arrive. Not all knowledge is beneficial. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss."

"Yes, but at least you got to live a good life!" Mafalda spat. "Unless us…and even your sister."

"My sister?!" Hermione gasped as both Trocar and Mopsus gave Mafalda dirty looks.

"Yes, I'm afraid," Mopsus explained as he glared at Mafalda. "We aren't the only deleted characters here, Hermione. There's Mopsy, the dog lover. Pyrites, Voldemort's servant, Dudley's magical son and yes…your sister. But unfortunately, you can't see her because well…"

"She's just a blur, Hermione." Trocar continued. "Her character wasn't fully fleshed out and so she just exists in a blur. Look at our names, Hermione. Mopsus was named after a famous Greek seer and thus his attributes and image has reflected as such. Rowling imagined me to be a vampire though she spent more time on my name rather than what I look like. A trocar, if you know, is a surgical instrument used to withdraw blood like how a vampire sucks blood. As for Mafalda…"

"I look like you because I'm supposed to represent your adversary in terms of wit and character." Mafalda sighed as she stared glumly at her body. "I was supposed to enter Hogwarts during your fourth year and was put in Slytherin. My connection to Ron and his family is the only reason as to why my hair remains red like a Weasley while I'm in Slytherin robes. Perpetually at eleven for the rest of my life."

Hermione began to pace around the table as she glared at the books before turning her sight towards the three. Though it was indeed hard to stomach, her head was beginning to wrap around the idea that she was indeed fictional. And yet, her heart found it difficult to accept. So this is the meaning of life. That Hermione was nothing more than a pawn used by an all-powerful deity who could at any moment, remove her from existence. This begs the question…

"Why am I here then?" Hermione said as she stared at the trio. "I wasn't deleted and like you mentioned, I'm important to the story so why am I here?"

All three characters exchanged looks before Mopsus cleared his throat.

"That, Hermione Granger, is a very interesting question. Before I explain, would you mind telling us in detail how you happened to end up here on the Plane?"

…

Once Hermione had finished recounting her story, she could see Mopsus and Trocar in a deep but quiet discussion among themselves. Mafalda, however, was looking at her curiously as if trying to determine if she should reveal something to Hermione. Before the latter could remark on this, Mopsus turned to her to speak.

"Just to be clear, Hermione, the note vanished but the book remained?"

"Yes."

"And the ingredients for the potion. Or the incantation for the charm. Could you recall either of these?"

Hermione shook her head. She had tried to recall the ingredients and the incantation but to her woe, none of which came to mind. It was frustrating to say the least, especially since the ingredients were so easy to remember and yet Hermione felt like Goyle did during his Transfiguration tests. Mopsus, however, had merely sighed as if he expected such a response from her.

"Okay, Hermione, take a seat. My explanation might be a little hard to follow so I'm going to walk through this with you slowly. Just bear with me." Mopsus said as Hermione sat on the chair while facing the trio.

"Hermione, to understand your predicament, you must first understand your universe, the Harry Potter canon. One thing you must understand about your fictional world is that it is vast. It spans over many different places and although most of it is based on real-life places, it is not real. To comprehend what I'm saying, I will give you an example. Now imagine that you are dreaming and in this dream, you are walking in a meadow."

"Okay…" Hermione said as she pictured the meadow in her head.

"Now, while we dream, we sometimes picture things very clearly. In this meadow where you are dreaming, what you may see would be the flora and fauna that surrounds you. You see the tall blades of green grass, the colourful flowers fluttering in the wind and even perhaps birds chirping as they fly in the distance. Now, this dream is clear to the point where you can imagine yourself being there. You feel the wind, the touch of the grass, the smell of the air and even the taste of the lips as your tongue brushes upon it."

"True," Hermione remarked.

"And yet you cannot possibly tell me how every single blade of grass feels? Or how each flower looks? Or that tree you might see in the distance of the insects that grow and live within? You see, even a place like a meadow is large and the mind doesn't have the capacity to go through every single detail. Now compare it to the Harry Potter canon. A world so vast. Do you think Rowling could picture every single classroom in Hogwarts, what each individual class would look like, how each slab on the floor would feel? And that is only Hogwarts, mind you."

"No, it would be impossible."

"And yet you still see these features as vivid and tangible as they are!" Mopsus cried. "Thus, the world of Harry Potter, a fictional world more detailed than other worlds, is however still imperfect. There are bound to be parts that were unfinished, not imagined clearly or merely allowed to be placed but unfocused. I call them cracks if you will. Do you understand me so far?"

"Yes. But what does that have to do with me being here?" Hermione asked.

"I will get to that. Now comes something a little more complex. Forget the cracks for a moment and focus on this. When a character is being created by the Creator, he or she develops what we call a consciousness. You are aware that you are alive. Now, you read in the seventh book that Harry met Dumbledore when Voldemort tried to kill him?"

"Yes!"

"Now think of this, while it is possible for Harry to have imagined the entire thing, it does beg the question as to how Harry could possibly know information about Dumbledore that only Dumbledore could have known while he was alive? Like Dumbledore's explanation as to Harry's blood. Or Dumbledore's explanation as to why he asked Snape to kill him."

"Yes, that has always bothered me," Hermione said, recalling when Harry told Ron and her about his meeting with Dumbledore inside his head. How could Dumbledore, who died a year ago, come back into Harry's mind and tell Harry things only the real Dumbledore could know.

"The only explanation is that Harry was indeed meeting Dumbledore himself! And that's the thing, Hermione. See once you're created or born, you develop a consciousness that allows you to experience things no matter what happens to you. When you die, your body fails but your consciousness will remain. It is here that this story might sound a little religious seeing as many religions tell you that once you die, you will go to either heaven or hell but whatever it is, you still exist. Because once you exist, you cannot be removed from existence. Instead, you are transported to another realm, dimension or plane."

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows. "You mean like once a soul is created, that soul cannot be destroyed. The body, mind, and heart might be gone but that soul must exist someplace. Like how the ghosts of Hogwarts exist as ghosts because their souls refused to move on to wherever they have to move on!"

"Exactly!" Trocar exclaimed as he clapped his hands while Mopsus nodded. Mafalda, on the other hand, merely rolled her eyes as if the explanation was something too simple to be confused about.

"However do not be confused into thinking that if you die within the fictional world where you reside, you will come here. The Plane only exists for characters that are deleted or removed and characters like Harry's parents, Dobby, Fred and others would merely be transported to your canonical afterlife. Now going on that line of reasoning, once Trocar, Mafalda and I were created, there was no going back into the box. We have developed consciousness, or souls if you wish. So how then do you delete a character from the Harry Potter canon? Why, we get transferred to this Plane here. But it is the process of our transfer which is interesting."

Hermione listened, her attention keenly fixated on Mopsus's words.

"In order for us to be pulled into the Plane, the Plane devised ways for us to be removed from canon. For myself, as a powerful wizard, I accidentally created a spell that caused me to be transported here. For Trocar, he found my spell and fell into the same trap and as for Mafalda…"

"I got on the wrong side of a powerful sorcerer who wished me out of existence," Mafalda growled as she recalled the day she came to the Plane. "I was in Diagon Alley, looking through some books when I accidentally bumped into a sorcerer whom I exchanged words with. The prat decided that I was being insulting and levelled me with a spell."

"So you see, not all us deleted characters go about the same way but we all end up here. In the Plane." Trocar said.

Hermione frowned upon hearing the story. "But that doesn't make sense. If you, Trocar, had done the spell, why was there still a warning written by you in the book? Or you too, Mopsus?"

Both Mopsus and Trocar exchanged a look. Surprisingly, it was Mafalda who spoke first.

"Do you think that for us, we just disappear?" Mafalda cried icily as she glared at Hermione. "How I wish it was that. I'm afraid, Hermione, how we got deleted is far more painful. When the sorcerer cast his spell on me, I was transported here to the Plane where the Plane made me aware of what I was and what was about to happen. After a while, the Plane vanished and I was brought back into canon. I went home thinking it was all just a dream, that the sorcerer didn't exist. But I was wrong. When I got home, I was talking to my mother when we reached the subject of Ron and his family. My mother stared at me like I was talking nonsense. She never heard of Ron, Ginny or any of these Weasleys. Like they didn't exist."

"Yes, I'm afraid. For myself, I couldn't recall the subject that I taught at Hogwarts. My classroom disappeared and soon members of the Hogwarts staff disappeared from view as well. The last person I met was Professor Sprout whom I was closest to." Trocar said dejectedly.

"Places, people, things. Everything that made you who you are start to disappear around you, Hermione, from what you deemed as unimportant to the most important thing in your life. Which is why after the last person in your life disappears, comes your magic and then… you end up here." Mopsus replied as he wiped a tear that streaked down his cheek.

"But that's horrible!" Hermione cried out in fear.

"You need to understand that while these things may disappear from you, it is you that is disappearing from existence," Mopsus explained. "Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, the Burrow. They all still exist but you do not."

"That's why I tried to warn others." Trocar added as Mopsus nodded. "I couldn't destroy the book so I threw it away but it always seemed to come back to the library so I stuffed it within the deepest corners, hoping no one would ever read it. I thought that with my disappearance, that the book will disappear too along but apparently, it didn't."

"You see, Hermione, the book is a crack in the Plane. Just like the HP canon, the Plane isn't perfect and the book remains the unfortunate remnant of the two worlds overlapping, a crack if you will. The note disappeared as soon as you removed it as the Plane is probably aware of its existence but not the book itself. Which explains why you are here. See, Hermione, unfortunately, you have stumbled upon this crack and have transported yourself to the Plane purely on accident. You, of course, were not deleted but nevertheless, you have found yourself here."

"Okay, but now what? How do I get back?" Hermione asked desperately, her thoughts turning to Ron and her family.

"That's just it. For all three of us, we were transported back once we made aware by the Plane. But we were always meant to be deleted. You, on the other hand, were not and your being here is causing quite the dilemma. The Plane isn't making you aware which we can only surmise to be that it doesn't know you are here. We tried not doing anything, hoping the Plane would send you back but instead, you remain which forced us to take the only course of action that brought us back in the first place." Mopsus said.

"Making you aware of what you really are," Mafalda added as Trocar nodded in agreement.

"Okay, but I'm aware of this all now! Why can't I go back?" Hermione asked frantically.

"Well, I do have a theory but it's a long shot," Mopsus replied.

"What's the theory? Let me hear it please." Hermione pleaded as Mopsus sighed.

"My theory is that the reason you can't go back is that you haven't fully accepted that you are fictional. For the three of us, we were transported back because the Plane made us aware! Perhaps you need more time to wrap your head around the idea."

"Time? You think I need more time?!" Hermione cried incredulously. "Have you any idea how difficult this is to comprehend? That, all my life, everything that I have accomplished, done and experienced is all just but a lie. That my world isn't real? That everyone and everything around me is just a product of someone's imagination."

"Well, if you take it as if you're real and this is just you realising there's a higher power, perhaps you can see this as a religious experience." Trocar said as he tried to sympathise with Hermione's plight. Hermione, however, snorted as she let out a mirthless laugh.

"Oh come on, Hermione!" Mafalda said, clearly impatient with the witch. "Didn't you ever realise just how coincidental everything was?! Like how you, Ron and Harry met at Hogwarts? How well you complimented each other. One's a pureblood, the other a half-blood and you a Muggleborn? Or how the first adventure you all had somehow had task that were tailor-made to your strengths?! A life-sized wizard chess only Ron could solve? A flying task for the best seeker of Hogwarts during your time? A logical puzzle for you to solve? Or how about how convenient it was that all your adventures ended with the climax coming at the end of each school year perfectly?"

Hermione's eyes began to widen at Mafalda's explanation. Mopsus and Trocar shared a look before Trocar spoke.

"Yes, Mafalda is right, Hermione. Perhaps this is the way to go. Look at your story and how each event leads to another, tying everything into a neat bow. Look at the final story, for example. There was no way you could possibly have come across Helga Hufflepuff's cup unless you were at Malfoy Manor which couldn't have happened if Harry never uttered the Taboo. Or how Ron leaving made it possible for him to retrieve the sword. Or how Ron's pet happened to be Wormtail and how it ties into the entire story. Or even when Crouch Junior, when he posed as Mad-Eye, could have easily turned anything to a Portkey to deliver Harry to Voldemort without the need for the Tri-wizard Tournament! You could argue for any of these cases but you cannot deny how each event that happened were like a set of dominoes, one random thing leading to another in order for you to help Harry accomplish his goal."

"You weren't even what the story was about, Hermione. That was Harry. Think of what you would become if you never met Harry or Ron. You recall how you were when you entered Hogwarts, how you could have so easily become like Percy Weasley. Just like Ronald who gave Harry and you a home in the wizarding world as well as his contributions, your contributions helped Harry as well. You three are irreplaceable. Anyone, anyone else in the Golden Trio would have changed the entire storyline and would make it far less appealing or interesting. Why, without one of you three, the first year might have led to Voldemort getting the Stone! But these are all just plotlines designed to tell one of the greatest fictional stories the world has ever seen." Mopsus explained as he looked longingly at her.

"I…can't…I can't take it anymore. I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't know all this!" Hermione yelled in frustration as she crumpled on the chair, her head in her hands. Professor Trocar sighed before walking over towards her and placed a gentle upon her head.

"Hermione, none of us wish for you to be here as well but what the three of us are trying to do here is get you back to your universe. Like you said, you shouldn't be here and we believe that once you leave this Plane, you won't be returning back because of who you are. You are far too important to the story, Hermione Granger and we will do all we can to get you there."

"Yes!" Mopsus cried eagerly. "You said that for the past few days, you have had an empty feeling inside of you, one that wishes to be quenched. Well, my theory is that even though we have explained to you what you are, you still have yet to accept it. I believe that once you have done so, you will be transported back to your world."

Hermione wiped the tears that had been trailing down her cheeks. "Okay, so what do I do?"

"We could take her to the real world? See the impact that Hermione Granger has on the world." Trocar reasoned as he looked towards the other two. Before Mopsus could speak, Mafalda gave Hermione a wicked grin.

"She should see the movies first."

Both Mopsus and Trocar groaned. "Not those blasted adaptations!" Trocar snapped as he shook his head.

"What?! Tell me a better way to help Hermione understand who she is after reading the books!" Mafalda retorted as Mopsus could only grimace at her words.

"Mafalda is right, I'm afraid."

"Wait…" Hermione started to speak as she now gave Mopsus a puzzled look. "I'm also in movies."

"Adaptations from the books although honestly, there are a lot of discrepancies between the two." Trocar remarked as Mopsus nodded his head.

"Here!" Mafalda said as a television set appeared along with what looked like video discs. "Frankly, Blu-ray's the only way to go."

"How did you do that?" Hermione asked as she stared at the television set.

"Well, in the Plane, you get to create whatever you want just like the Creators do. Just imagine it and it will come true. But there are limits." Mopsus said.

"Like trying to imagine a door back to your reality." Mafalda sniggered as she placed the disc onto a video player. "Or trying to imagine people. You can make your own Ron, for example, but he will be bereft of his personality, thoughts, attitude, and behaviour. Kind of like a Ron statue come to life but that's it."

"Oh!" Hermione thought as she looked at the television set. All of a sudden, a sofa appeared along with a chocolate sundae placed onto a table.

"Not bad. Took me a while to get it right." Trocar said as Mopsus smiled. Mafalda, however, rolled her eyes. "Can we just get along with it?"

"Hang on!" Hermione said as her eyes spied the cover of one of the movies. "Is that supposed to be…me?!"

Mafalda sniggered. "Yes, that's the actress Emma Watson. She's gorgeous, unlike you know…you." Mafalda waited for a snappy remark from Hermione only to see the witch stare uneasily at the cover. Secretly, Hermione agreed with Mafalda's remark. This girl did share certain features but is most definitely not what Hermione looked like. Eager to change the subject, Hermione noticed something else that was strange.

"Wait, why are there eight discs if there are only seven books?"

Mafalda snorted impatiently. "That's because the last book was split into two movies. Financial reasons, I suspect. Anyways, are we going to watch or not? Cos I can't wait to see your reaction!"

Hermione glared at Mafalda before crossing her arms and throwing herself onto the sofa. Though she was eager to get back, Hermione knew a large part of her still wanted to know more as she took a sip from her chocolate sundae.

….

Trocar smiled as he watched Hermione and Mafalda tuning in to the first movie of the series. How strange must it be for one to watch a story of one's own life, in no less than eight movies! But if it helped Hermione understand who she was, so be it. Trocar turned to say as much to Mopsus when he noticed his friend deep in thought, an uneasy look on his face.

"Mopsus, what's wrong?"

"Do you feel it, Trocar? The vibrations."

Trocar said nothing but instead tune his attention towards his body. Mopsus was right. He could feel ripples and vibrations running through his body, a sure sign that the Plane was reacting to something and Trocar had a good feeling as to what that something was.

"So the Plane knows that Hermione is here. We just get her to accept what she is and the Plane sends her back. Or maybe it will do so even without our efforts." Trocar said with a shrug of his shoulders. Mopsus put a hand on Trocar's shoulder as Trocar was alarmed at his friend's reaction. Mopsus's face was filled with worry and Trocar could feel his friend trembling.

"I'm afraid, things might not be so easy for Hermione."

"Why would you say that, Mopsus?"

"Fictional characters aren't supposed to know they're fictional, Trocar! Think of it in these terms. Supposed I tell you not to think about kangaroos. What do you think about?"

"Kangaroos." Trocar responded almost immediately.

"You see! If Hermione is aware of the Plane and develops her consciousness, this consciousness cannot be eradicated or removed. Hermione will no longer act the way she's supposed to. She will know that she's being controlled and will try to change that. She will live the rest of her life knowing what she is and this will cause her to second guess her answers, even maybe go against her own status quo." Mopsus replied.

"So what's wrong with that?" Trocar asked as Mopsus sighed.

"It's like a paradox. A fictional character that exists in its own fictional world _cannot_ develop a consciousness. The Plane, much like me, will not know what to make of it and I can only imagine its solution."

"Which is?"

"Like a computer with a software glitch, the Plane will freeze before it has to reboot itself. I fear that in doing so, it would also try to get rid of the problem it's facing."

Trocar's eyes began to widen as realisation sets in.

"But…but… canon is over! Hermione's story is done, not like us! Rowling isn't writing any more stories!"

"But she still could, couldn't she! The possibility that Canon might still be added on by Rowling writing another book is too much of a risk for the Plane to take."

"But Hermione Granger is much too important to the story! I mean…this is Hermione Granger we're talking about!" Trocar exclaimed.

"And yet, despite the knowledge, she is still just a supporting character unlike Harry himself," Mopsus replied sadly. "Listen, what I'm telling you is only a theory so it's best we don't share it with Hermione or Mafalda. The vibrations could mean nothing after all."

"True…" Trocar said worriedly as he stared at the girls. "But if you're right…" Trocar trailed off in his explanation but Mopsus nodded, concern for Hermione etched on his face as well.

"Then there is the possibility that Hermione Granger could be deleted as well."

….

 **A/N: So that's the end of part two. Two more to go. In the next chapter, we will look deeper into the characterisation of Hermione Granger herself. I know that this chapter might be a little hard to follow and may seem like filler but it is crucial to what is going to happen next.**


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